Deputy Director-General Li Hsiao-hsia of the Ocean Affairs Council’s Ocean Conservation Administration led a delegation to Japan at the end of October for an in-depth exchange on marine debris and circular economies, highlighting the government’s commitment to deepening cooperation with like-minded countries on environmental matters.
The group included OAC officials, delegates from the Industrial Technology Research Institute in the northern city of Hsinchu and representatives of nine domestic businesses specializing in the management of sea waste, the council noted.
A memorandum of understanding was inked between ITRI and Tokyo-based Japan Clean Ocean Material Alliance, which would reinforce collaboration on managing ocean debris between the two sides. In her remarks, Li said that through transnational technical exchange, Taiwan would play a more important role on a global scale.
The delegation also visited the Kanagawa prefecture-based Institute for Global Environmental Strategies for discussions of microplastic pollution and G20 sustainable goals, among other topics. Li briefed the attendees on the planning of a platform which would promote cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
In response, Director Yasuhiko Hotta of IGES said that with Taiwan’s leading position in information communication technologies and data infrastructure, it would be capable of assisting the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in plastic reduction and the execution of efficient circular economy strategies.
The contingent also called on renowned Japanese enterprises with known expertise in the field of circular economies, such as the Tokyo-based Dai Nippon Printing Co. and Sumitomo Chemical, among others, the OAC added. (POC-E)
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